Although it was found that the higher a dog ' s BCS, the lesser the decrease in their body temperature, it would be unethical to recommend dogs to have an over ideal BCS to minimise the incidence of hypothermia in dogs undergoing MRI investigations.
Obesity and being overweight can cause functional impairment, increase the risk of diseases, shorten life span and reduce an animal ' s quality of life, having a negative impact on their health and welfare [ 34 ]. Obesity is one of the most common conditions affecting dogs, and surveys have shown that it is thought that a common reason for its high prevalence is that owners do not recognise that their pet is overweight [ 34 ].
As the results of this study show that the majority of dogs had a decrease in body temperature during the procedure, all patients undergoing MRI investigations should be provided with some variation of passive warming, such as blankets.
Additional efforts should be made to ensure that dogs with an ideal or less-than-ideal BCS maintain their body temperature while anaesthetised for an MRI. Providing additional MRI-compatible passive warming techniques such as extra blankets, cotton toddler socks and bubble wrap could assist with this.
The warming techniques used on the patients in this study were not investigated, as these were not always recorded on the anaesthetic records. The practice does have cotton toddler socks and bubble wrap available, and these methods have been shown to prevent lower body temperatures at the end of anaesthesia when applied to the limbs and thorax [ 35 ].
Active warming techniques, such as the use of a nonmetallic heat mat and microwaveable heat pads, can also be used; however, care should be taken when using these techniques to prevent burning the patient. The probability of burns occurring depends on the temperature and the duration of contact the patient has with the heat source [ 36 ]. Ensuring the heat source is not too hot and covering it with something, such as a towel, to ensure it is not in direct contact with the animal will help prevent burns [ 29 ].
Additionally, given that the longer the scan duration, the greater the decrease in temperature, VNs should advocate for their patients by having conversations about minimising scan times with the radiographers, imagers and veterinary surgeons involved in a patient ' s care.
References
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